Insight (Web of Hearts and Souls #1)(58)

I reached forward and placed one hand on the baby’s back and one hand on its mother. I felt the hum pass through my body. They were so beautiful. I’d have to find the time to sketch these two. I let my mother’s energy and my father’s peace flow through my memory. I hesitated longer than I normally would. I watched as the baby succumbed to a peaceful sleep. His mother’s eyes sparkled. She looked refreshed and happy. I lingered, taking one last look at all the details, then I took in a deep breath, gathered my strength, and let go. I felt my body being pulled back, so I focused on the energy and stopped myself in the string.

Suddenly, a roar of laughter erupted from Landen, Brady, and Marc. Brady was laughing so hard tears were coming out of his eyes.

“Get him, Marc,” Landen said as he tried to calm himself. Marc stepped through the other side of the string and returned with a humiliated Chrispin. I felt so bad for him.

“Don’t let go until she stops,” Landen said as he tried to stop laughing.

“I’m sorry, Chrispin,” I said, apologizing for the others’ laughter.

His face was so red. “You guys can tease me all you want, but that was epic,” Chrispin said, grinning. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

“I’m glad I got you back when I did. The passage is already gone,” Marc said, slapping Chrispin on the back. I looked in front of and behind myself, and I could still see it just as clearly as I had before.

“I told you so, they can’t see it anymore,” Landen thought.

“Can they still pass through it?”

“I don’t know. We should try.”

“Hey, we’re going to try something. Line up behind Willow,” Landen instructed. The irony was unbelievable. They were nervous, but they were so macho on the outside. I walked back through my passage, and one by one we were all back in the alley.

“That has to give us an advantage,” Brady said.

They followed me back into the string again, and Landen led the way back to Chara. I noticed that Brady’s emotion had changed. He was nervous. The others must have sensed his mood change as well because Marc grinned at Brady and said, “Don’t worry, Brady. I’m sure Willow will learn to affect the emotions around her soon enough to help you if you really need it.”

I glanced up at Landen, questioning what I’d just heard.

“He’s nervous about being a dad. Can you blame him after seeing your image?”

“It’s not always like that.” I could remember what a happy baby Libby was.

“It’s not the crying. The two biggest challenges we face in our lives are finding the right person and being good parents. He was just as nervous when he went to find Felicity. I remember telling him it should be easy, that he already knew what she looked like. That was when I realized that by my seeing you I was different from the others. They only have a feeling to follow.”

I halted as my mind raced through my memory, touching on every image I’d ever helped.

“What is it, Willow?”

I smiled up at Landen. “I attract them.” Landen questioned me with his eyes, but I continued. “Listen, if I’m lonely, I find someone who’s lonely. If I feel lost, that’s who I find. The other day, we were talking about marriage, and I found someone who was about to propose. This morning, I was with Felicity and I could feel the baby’s emotion.”

“But, Sharon—Libby.”

“I think that was personal. Like you said, they’re connected to me, so I have to be sensitive to their pain.”

Landen grinned, agreeing with me. “Well, we can take that off our list of unanswered questions,” he thought.

When we reached our dimension, it was almost sunset. Landen had told the others about the nightmares and our dreams, how they were more like out-of-body experiences. They seemed to take what we were saying well, but I could tell it bothered them the same way it bothered Landen that I’d been in Esterious so many times alone. That place must be wretched.

When our house came into view, I could see Felicity’s car. She was standing on the porch with her arms crossed, which reminded me that I hadn’t even tried on the dresses that she’d brought me.

“Looks like somebody’s in trouble,” mocked Chrispin.

When we got to the house, I could sense her. She wasn’t angry; she was actually very excited. She wrapped her arms around Brady and said, “I heard that you’ve been playing with babies all afternoon.”

I could sense the shock coming from everyone but Landen and me. We both knew Libby must have told her. I couldn’t wait to see her.

Felicity smiled at Brady, knowing that she’d bewildered them. “My new best friend, Libby, told me.”

“I wonder how she fits into all of this?” I asked Landen.

“She’s zoned into you, at least what happens to you.”

Felicity had Brady unload her car. She must have been expecting us to be late coming home because she’d brought clothes for the guys to change into. It was refreshing to see them in colors other than black; like changing out of a uniform, the seriousness left them for a moment as they prepared for the night.





Chapter Eleven




Within minutes, I’d changed to go to the celebration. Felicity helped me choose a dress for the night. It was a beautiful combination of royal green and blue, fitting for the warm weather. The straps were thin, and it flowed from beneath the chest to just above my thighs. I blushed as Felicity complimented the way it brought out my eyes. I was trying to absorb all the positive energy she was exuding. My nerves were on edge. I was looking forward to seeing Libby and my mom, but I had no idea what to expect from my long lost grandparents or whoever else awaited us.